1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to pipe supports and more particularly to moveable, freestanding pipe supports suitable for use in arctic climates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pipelines used in arctic climates, especially those designed to carry crude oil in large volumes, are expensive to build and represent a potential hazard to the environment since ruptures of such pipelines can cause crude oil to be spilled onto the ground in large volumes which may cause an environmental impact to the area. It is, therefore, important that such pipelines be well supported. While in the past, some of such pipelines have been supported only on wooden cribs or sleepers or on oil drums or even laid directly on the ground, the presently preferred and approved pipeline supports are VSM supports.
VSM supports are anchored in the ground by first drilling a hole in the ground and then slurrying in a support pipe which extends above the ground and supports horizontal cross members which in turn support the pipe line or pipe lines.
However, certain problems are inherent with VSM supports. The tight design tolerances combined with the requirement that the contactor have access to appropriate drilling equipment and slurry plants makes the VSM supports relatively expensive to put in place. Moreover, the VSM supports are not portable and, while the supports are built with disconnect couplings close to the ground, in the winter when the ground is frozen and layers of ice are built up on the ground, it is common practice to simply cut off the supports with a welding torch and then to later reweld the joint with a relatively difficult field weld.
Other pipe supports have been used in the arctic which use a unistrut structure and a pair of fiberglass pads for supporting pipes generally smaller than oil pipelines. However, such supports are not considered stable enough for oil pipelines.
It can, therefore, be appreciated that a pipe support which is freestanding, relatively moveable and inexpensive to fabricate, yet provides a stable platform for a pipeline is highly desirable.